This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/289,031, filed Nov. 6, 2002 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,915, and claims the benefit thereto.
The invention relates to a masonry anchor for use in connecting two spaced apart masonry walls to form a single unified wall structure. The masonry anchor of the present invention can be easily and efficiently produced, and results in improved structural stability in the wall structure.
It is common in masonry construction for wall structures to comprise an inner wall, typically of concrete block construction to provide structural stability, and a spaced-apart outer veneer wall, often made of brick, principally for aesthetic purposes. Masonry anchors have long been used for anchoring the two walls together to help form a single unified wall structure. Prior art masonry anchors are generally made of metal wire and typically comprised a ladder or truss-type support frame that is positioned on a mortar joint of the inner wall coplanar with a mortar joint in the outer wall. A plurality of U-shaped brackets extend outwardly from the support frame and have eyes extending into the cavity between the two walls for receiving a connecting member, such as a wall tie, connected to the outer wall. Mortar is then filled over the masonry anchor. The process is repeated for successive mortar joints to unify the two walls into a single stable structure.
One prior art masonry anchor has a U-shaped bracket welded on top of the support frame at three different points. As such, the support frame and U-shaped bracket occupy two different horizontal planes, increasing the overall thickness of the structure and occupying most of the thickness of the mortar joint in which the masonry anchor is positioned. This diminishes the structural integrity of the wall structure, as the stability of the wall structure is largely dependent on the thickness and integrity of the mortar in the mortar joint.
Another prior art masonry anchor has pairs of parallel elongate arms extending outward from the support frame. Eyes are formed at the end of the arms for receiving a complimentary wall tie. The arms are aligned with the support frame, but the product is difficult to manufacture, as the arms are two separate pieces that must be individually welded to the support frame while being held in the same plane as the support frame.
In an effort to overcome and eliminate the aforementioned problems, the present invention was conceived.